Spring 2025 Samis Board Announcements

Seattle, Washington | May 2025

This past year, the Foundation had the privilege of honoring four esteemed trustees—Eli Almo, Barry Ernstoff, Eli Genauer, and Dave Azose—as they retired and transitioned to the Samis Emeritus Board. We are deeply grateful for their decades of leadership, wisdom, and unwavering dedication, which have shaped the landscape of Jewish education and left an enduring legacy on the Jewish future. In recognition of their extraordinary service to Samis and the Jewish people, retiring lifetime trustees are given the opportunity to direct a total of $25,000 in grants to non-profits of their choice. Click here to see where these visionary leaders chose to make a lasting impact.

In March, Samis proudly welcomed three new exceptional trustees to the board, Norman Behar, Deanne Etsekson, and Rabbi Bernard Fox. Each brings a deep commitment to Jewish life, a wealth of leadership experience, and a passion for cultivating a strong Jewish future. Their leadership and passion will help shape the future of our work and the Jewish community. Read about these outstanding communal leaders below.

Deanne Weiss Etsekson brings decades of leadership and dedication to the Jewish community through her extensive service across educational, philanthropic and advocacy organizations. She currently serves as the incoming President of the Seattle Regional Board for the American Jewish Committee and is past President of the Northwest Yeshiva High School. Deanne has held board positions at Herzl Ner Tamid and Seattle AIPAC and is a proud alumna of the Wexner Heritage Foundation and the UJA Young Leadership Cabinet. Her academic background includes a BA from the University of Washington and a JD from the Seattle University School of Law. A passionate advocate for Jewish day school education, Deanne has published articles on the subject in national outlets. Her family reflects this commitment: her three children are graduates from the Jewish Day School and Northwest Yeshiva High School, and her grandchildren are currently attending Seattle Hebrew Academy’s Early Childhood program.

Rabbi Bernie Fox arrived in Seattle in 1980 and by 1986 was selected to succeed Rabbi Danny Rosenthal, a”h, as the head of school at Northwest Yeshiva High School where he served until his retirement in 2019. Before becoming head of school, Rabbi Fox taught in the Seattle Hebrew Academy middle school and at NYHS (then known as Yeshivat Or Hazafon). He is a Pittsburgh native who traveled to New York City to attend Yeshiva Bnai Torah, where he received rabbinic ordination, and Long Island University, where he received an MBA with distinction, focusing on quantitative analysis. Since retiring, Rabbi Fox volunteers at NYHS, where he teaches advanced Tanach, and oversees his family’s real estate portfolio in Pittsburgh. For years, Rabbi Fox has published a weekly Dvar Torah, “Thoughts on the Parsha.”

Norman Behar is a Managing Director at Sales Benchmark Index (SBI) and has over 25 year’s experience in CEO and senior sales management positions. Previously, Norman served as President of Catapult, Inc., where he managed its growth and expansion prior to the Company’s acquisition by IBM. He has also held senior leadership positions at numerous venture-backed companies including Xylo and Egghead Software. Norman is a Seattle native and attended the University of Washington where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. He has taken an active role in local Jewish institutions including serving as board chair for the Seattle Hebrew Academy, and on the boards of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle and Congregation Ezra Bessaroth.

To learn more about the Samis Foundation and Board of Trustees, click here.